Cinnamon gives the zing to counter-HIV measures

Cinnamon, or dalchini, has the requisite qualities to counter HIV, an Indian company claims.

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Cinnamon, or dalchini, has the requisite qualities to counter HIV, an Indian company claims.

Scientists at the Pune- based Indus Biotech claim the dalchini ( cinnamon) plant has properties which can help keep HIV- infected people healthy. That means they carry the human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) but don't develop any symptoms.

One in 300 HIV- positive people don't develop AIDS even after carrying the virus for 10- 15 years. They are called HIV " controllers". The bark of the dalchini plant has properties to turn HIV- positive people into HIV controllers.

The scientists have extracted a molecule - IND- 02 - from the plant. In studies carried out in the laboratory and on humans, in which the molecule was used as a supplement, it was found to be effective in reducing the number of viruses or viral load, a company official claimed.

" Currently a cocktail of two- three drugs is used to control HIV. About 22 drugs are in use as therapy for HIV/ AIDS," said Sunil Bhaskaran, the firm's research head.

An HIV- positive individual is generally given drugs only after his/ her CD4 cell count falls below 350 or he/ she starts developing symptoms of the disease. CD4 cells are a kind of cells in blood which help fight infection. The molecule was tested among 40 HIV- infected people in Pune, who had no symptoms and had CD4 cell count of over 350. It was given as a nutritional supplement.

Out of 40, 20 were given the supplement as a 300 mg capsule once daily for 12 weeks. The viral load came down by 14 per cent in the group given the nutritional supplement, he claimed. In the group who were not given this supplement, the viral load increased by 68 per cent, he added.

The group given the nutritional supplement also had a better CD4 count.

Preclinical studies were carried out in collaboration with the National Taiwan University at their bio- safety lab with human blood. A blood sample was infected with HIV and then the molecule was added.

The sample was examined on the third, fifth and seventh days. The viral load was found to decrease many- fold due to the new molecule, he said.

" Besides reducing the viral load, the new molecule has been found to increase production of protective proteins called antibodies," he added.

Though the exact action of IND- 02 is not clear, the molecule prevents replication of HIV by protecting a crucial defence protein called APOBEC3G ( apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide- like 3G), produced by CD4 cells. APOBEC3G neutralises the virus. But Virus Infectivity Factor, produced by HIV, damages APOBEC3G. The new molecule stops degradation of APOBEC3G. Thus, the body's own cells are able to keep the virus under control.

Bhaskaran said they aimed to develop this molecule as a drug for treatment of HIV- infected people before they start on anti- retroviral therapy and " remove or delay the need for" it.

The company has applied to the Drug Controller General of India for permission to start clinical trials.